


We Look Up and See Our Future

by WatteauYouDoing



Series: Gifts of the Magi [4]
Category: Undertale (Video Game)
Genre: Christmas fic, Fluff, Mistletoe, Other, Reader Is Not Frisk, Thaumatale AU, Warm and Fuzzies, it's neither long nor meaningful, look this is just some goop I wanted to write, reader is a wizard but it's just flavor here, skelesmoochies, takes place in a possible future of So I Think You've Got the Wrong Number
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-02-03
Updated: 2016-02-03
Packaged: 2018-05-17 22:52:26
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,906
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/5888356
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/WatteauYouDoing/pseuds/WatteauYouDoing
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>It's Christmas, and, somehow, you've found warmth, happiness, and love.</p>
            </blockquote>





	We Look Up and See Our Future

It had been a long, long time since you’d been to anything close to a Christmas party before.

It was… pleasantly nostalgic. Feasting, caroling, decorating, presents - everyone had gone all out, _especially_ Toriel, who had not only prepared a roast goose, but also two pies, mashed potatoes, dumplings, plum pudding, mulled wine, cranberries, and, in a generous attempt to capture the spirit of your childhood, lebkuchen. Honey kept you healthy and strong, you remembered Grandpapa Bobbin telling you, patting your head and giving you a treat because you’d helped him clean the storage shed. Not a crack in those old bones, all because of honey! As you’d watched Toriel place them on the snack table, you hoped they’d keep your friends well for the new year, too.

You also hoped she’d like the springerle rolling pin you’d gotten her. It seemed like the kind of thing she’d like to bake for Frisk; you could easily imagine the child proudly showing off mom’s pretty little patterned cookies at the lunch table. The thought made you smile. Frisk was a good kid.

The bright strings of lights and fresh, green garlands filled the house with a festive air and a fresh scent. You breathed deep, enjoying the newness for a few moments before looking back over at the previously mentioned child. They’d perched themselves comfortably on Undyne’s lap as they introduced her, Alphys, and Papyrus to a movie about Rudolph the Red Nosed Reindeer. Undyne kept shouting about how the main character should FIGHT ALL THE OTHER REINDEER, RUDOLF! EARN FRIENDSHIP THROUGH BAAAAAATTLE!!! Frisk tried to explain that the story wasn’t about fighting people; it was about prejudice, bullying, and realizing the value of other’s unique talents. Undyne did not understand. To her, all problems could be solved through fighting people and the power of aggressive friendship.

You laughed, watching them from the edge of the room. No one would mind if you joined them, of course, but the modern world never had cared for wizards much. That comfortable scene by the television just wouldn’t _fit_ you, and, most likely, it’d shatter in your presence. Literally. Technology had a weird way of just going _wrong_ around you, and televisions were famously finicky.

You turned, walking out into the hallway to go see if Toriel needed any help cleaning, and - due to your distraction - you smacked right into someone. Oof. You apologized as you looked up, and then paused, realizing it was Gaster beaming down at you.

“Ah! There you are!” He put his hands on your shoulders, his mouth pulled up into a huge smile. “Sorry for bumping into you; are you alright?”

“Gaster,” you drawled, looking up at him with a clearly amused expression. “You’ve seen me destroy a door with my fists, and you’re worried about bumping into me?”

The scientist frowned at your teasing - or perhaps at the memory you’d brought up, you weren’t sure. “That doesn’t mean I shouldn’t be considerate.”

“Whatever floats your boat. I’m fine. You were looking for me?"

“Oh! Yes.” He leaned in conspiratorially, lowering his voice. You knew this was secret-sharing time, not getting-flustered-and-embarrassed-from-his-proximity time, so you tried to keep a rein on things. “Toriel and I wanted to surprise Papyrus with a new Snow Papyrus, since Undyne, ah, demolished the original. I’ve already told Sans he has to help; would you like to, as well?”

You grinned. “Sure betcher beans I do.”

He smiled as he pulled back, and stopped, suddenly, his gaze going up, and up, until it hit the ceiling. Confused, you joined him, craning your neck upwards.

“Oh!” You said softly, recognizing the plant hanging above you. “Mistletoe!”

“Y-Yes,” Gaster stammered, eyeing it dubiously. He glanced down at you, then back up, and down again, much to your befuddlement. After a pause, “Do, ah. You. Know the. Traditions about mistletoe?”

“Of course,” you replied, furrowing your brow. “Mistletoe is an awfully important plant. According to legend, it was made a symbol of peace and friendship in recompense for its unwilling participation in Baldr's murder. It’s a plant associated with fertility and vitality, and it’s also used in rituals to cure poisons and diseases. They’re hung from the ceiling to bar the entrance of evil spirits, and kissing under mistletoe is a…”

You paused. You stared at Gaster. He stared at you. Much like Alphys when confronted with a phone call, your brain absolutely and completely shut down.

“Do… do you, ah… want… to…” He managed, his face a dark grey.

“I -- If, if you, if you, um, if you want…to…”

“We don’t -- have to! We can pretend this never happened.”

“No, I mean, I’m -- I’m fine, I mean, with it, I mean, if you are. If you want. Do you? Want to?”

“I, um, I think I’d, ah, I mean. It’d be. Good. Yes. If -- if you want to! I do not want to pressure you!”

“I, uh, no! No! It’s good. Yeah, let’s -- “ you looked up at the mistletoe. “Let’s, um. K-...K…” You were completely and absolutely fine with parading around sans shirt, but the idea of _kissing your boyfriend_ rendered you almost speechless. Never mind that you’d _kissed him before,_ but still, somehow, you still needed to mentally prepare yourself for the delicate art of smooching. You got embarrassed by pretty stupid things.

Of course, he did, too, so weren’t you just two perfect peas in a perfectly awkward pod?

“Right! Let’s!” Gaster took a deep breath and leaned in. Swallowing your own jitters, you met him halfway, moving your hands up to cup his face as you spread your mouth against his. The logistics of kissing a skeleton had always struck you a bit strange, but you didn’t mind, especially when he did that thing where he slid his hands down your sides and gathered them at the small of your back.

He pulled you tight, and you felt him lose some of his consistency, his form enveloping your legs and your shoulders. With a slight motion, you tilted your head, sliding your tongue around the crack of his mouth, and then --

“Wow,” you heard a murmur behind you, and with startled shock, you and Gaster both simultaneously shoved the other away, whirling to face the noise.

Three faces greeted you - Undyne, looking pleased as punch, Papyrus, something like wonder on his face, and Frisk, covering their mouth in barely disguised amusement. You could also discern the edge of Alphys’ nose, but it disappeared with a squeak as soon as she realized they’d been caught.

You were pretty sure that your face was going to explode, you were so embarrassed, and you pressed your hands tightly over your eyes, trying in vain to disguise your shame. “Wh-wh-WHY WERE YOU WATCHING?” You shrieked, mortification filling you to your very core.

“We never see you guys macking on each other! None of us knew if you’d even kissed!” Undyne was actually some sort of devious hellspawn, you were _certain._

“WERE YOU EATING HIS FACE?” Papyrus asked, squinting.

Gaster was grey enough to be a storm cloud, letting out a series of stuttering dings that reminded you of a broken cash register. He signed at them furiously, [OUR KISSING HABITS ARE NONE OF YOUR BUSINESS!]

Frisk made the sign for kissing, touching their fingertips together and snickering, sending you into a pit of unrecoverable embarrassment.

“You guys!! Are weird!! GO BACK TO YOUR MOVIE!” You gesticulated desperately, backing away from the doorway the three stooges had chosen to inhabit.

“So you can start smooching again?” Undyne beamed, showing off her fine array of very sharp teeth.

“Yes!! I mean!! No!! Ahhhhhhh!”

You were about to start throwing things when Undyne hauled up Frisk underneath their arm and grabbed Papyrus to drag him off. “Let’s leave them be!” she called back, a cackle easily discernable in her voice. “I wanna watch more of the movie; that Abominable Snowguy is so cool!”

From the room, you could hear hushed words, giggling, and Alphys saying, “Y-you know, I’d always _wondered_ if _…_ ”

You couldn’t stand to hear anymore, so you looped your arm through Gaster’s and dragged him away hurriedly as you grumbled, “I can’t believe them.”

“To be fair, it’s the sort of thing you’d do to someone,” he replied, apparently having regained enough of his composure to tease you.

“I wouldn’t!” You lied blatantly, and Gaster knew it, because he buzzed out a little ‘pfffft’.

You stopped by one of the big windows by the front door, looking out to the world patterned in gentle white. The sky was overcast, the dim and murky heavens promising more snow, and the world had tinted into evening. You could see the boot-and-people shaped indentations in the yard from the afternoon’s games - and also the obliterated remains of Papyrus: the Snow Edition, who had been slain valiantly by one of Undyne’s snow-meteors. As Gaster had said, there was Toriel in her big, fluffy coat, packing up snow and trying to roll it back into place. Given the smells from the kitchen, you figured she was probably still cooking -- so this must be a break for her, then. You watched as she yelled something at Sans and laughed, a deep, merry sound from her chest.

She was probably calling him a lazy-bones, you reasoned, given that he was snoozing face-deep in the snow. You watched this with a smile and leaned against Gaster, shifting your grip so you were holding his arm more properly. “They’re having fun.”

“Mmhmm. You can see why I asked for your help.”

You reached out with your other hand, fingertips brushing the cold window. The shadows gave depth to your skin, settling along your wrist and curved around your elbow. He wanted you to have fun, too. The thought warmed you inside, much like cider or hot-chocolate. It was gentle, and soft, and your smile spread wider.

“Are you having a good Gyftmas?” he asked, and you giggled at the name. You’d quickly learned that the tradition of ‘Christmas’ had gotten a bit, er, warped, underground. Although… to be fair, all of the human Christmas traditions were twisted themselves, stolen from older traditions of magic.

“I am,” you replied, tracing a fingertip along the window before you looked up at him. “Are you?”

“Yes.” You couldn’t help but be staggered by the fondness in his expression as he looked at you, like you were some treasure that he felt lucky to be able to even touch. It was still so _strange_ to be looked at like that. “I think I might have to claim the title of ’Happiest Man Alive’.”

“You’re such a dork!” Lightly, you flicked his shoulder, and he beamed at you, apparently considering this high praise. You were pretty close again, now, and realizing that made your heart flutter.

He seemed to have noticed the same thing, his eyes lowering to your mouth briefly before he leaned in. “Um,” he said, voice gone quiet. “Do you want to… I mean… We were sort of interrupted, before, and, ah, I’d hate to be lax on tradition.”

“You’re a dork,” you repeated without much emphasis, because your breath had gone funny and light. “But, um. Yeah.”

He turned towards you a bit more, and you kissed there, in front of the window. You’d join Toriel and Sans in a few minutes, but for now…

… you wanted to be thankful for what you had.

**Author's Note:**

> Lebkuchen is a kind of... soft-round cookie/cake thing that's got honey in it, and nuts like almonds/walnuts/etc. It's German and pretty traditional around Christmas. There's also a harder version that shaped like a heart and decorated with icing, but that's not what's being talked about here. A springerle rolling pin is a rolling pin that has molds carved into it, and you roll it on the dough and it puts designs on it. Then you cut the cookies out, bake them, and you have these adorable cutely designed cookies! i love them they're my fave
> 
> I wrote this cuz I was having a few bad days and just wanted something real cute to cheer me up, haha. Since I've fallen into Gaster hell... I was wondering if anyone would like to give me prompts/requests to write about? It's nice to stretch the writing muscles with one-shots. I'll write stuff other than Gaster/Reader, too -- I LOVE Alphyne, for example, and other stuff too. I kinda wanna get more into the fandom, haha. If you've got requests, my tumblr is glitterbark.tumblr.com, or you can leave a comment here.


End file.
